" Yeah , " I admitted without hesitation . Everyone's heads snapped my way , their faces twisted with disgust . One guy muttered loud enough for the whole room to hear , " Some people just never change , huh ? " I ignored him and focused on Nicole . " Your program's solid . I couldn't help taking a peek . But I noticed it only solves the first two parts of the project . How are you planning to finish the last section ? " For a second , a hint of nervousness flickered in Nicole's eyes . She fumbled with her words . " That part , um ... I'll need a few more days . " Then she slammed her laptop shut , as if she couldn't get it away from me fast enough . The way she acted told me everything . She had no clue how to wrap up the third section . The crazy thing was , I hadn't figured it out either . With all the drama blowing up these past few days , I hadn't had the headspace to think it through . But could it really be that if I didn't have the solution , Nicole didn't either ? That thought sounded so wild and impossible that I shut it down quickly . I figured I was being paranoid from being stretched too thin , too focused on avoiding the same ugly ending I'd faced before . Meanwhile , the others in the room weren't holding back . They leaned in , their voices sharp and angry , all rushing to defend Nicole . " This is supposed to be for the competition ! How shameless can you be , trying to mooch off Nicole's work ? " " Exactly ! She doesn't owe you anything . You're just a damn copycat . " I let out a long breath and straightened in my chair . " Relax . I'll withdraw from the competition . " The room went quiet for a beat . Then I set down my fork , stood up , and walked out . I couldn't take it anymore . It felt as if some invisible force was dragging me right back into the storm from my past life , and no matter what I did , I couldn't fight free . Quitting hurt . I knew I would disappoint my teammates and my professor . But right now , this was the only way I could breathe . I pulled out my phone and dialed a number . When a low voice answered , I said softly , " I want to back out of the competition . I need your help . " After making arrangements , I asked my advisor for some time off . The stress of the last few days had drained everything out of me . All I could think about was my parents ' tragic end in my past life , and my chest ached just remembering it . I needed to go home . When I walked through the door , my parents ' worried faces came into view . I spilled everything until my throat felt raw . They stayed quiet for a long while . Then , like always , they stood tall behind me , believing me without question . " Sweetheart , " my mother said softly , brushing my hair back , " you need to rest . Don't think about any of this for now . Your health comes first . " My father nodded . " Yeah . I'll go grab some fresh salmon and cook it up for you . You'll feel better after eating . " Being with them , I could almost forget everything . I could be a kid again , safe and carefree . But I couldn't forget how , in my last life , they died tragically because of me . CHOP +15 Bonus I blinked fast , swallowing the tears threatening to spill , and forced a small smile . " Mom , Dad ... what if we moved ? We can start fresh in a new place . Maybe it'll help me feel better . "